


Falling in Love

by elenilote



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, First Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26667640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenilote/pseuds/elenilote
Summary: Kun and Xiao Jun find they have feelings for one another - awkwardness ensues
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Qian Kun/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Falling in Love

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [the Rainbow V project](https://youtu.be/SBIoc-0nqdg) the boys did

They'd only been WayV officially for a few weeks when they were handed the reins to make their own project. Music, dance - whatever they wanted to self-produce, they could. Kun had jumped at the chance, he really wanted to showcase that he was more than just a pretty face - he'd been composing and producing his own music since he was a teenager. As the eldest, the guys gave him first pick on who he wanted to partner with - the decision had actually not been that difficult, for what he wanted to do there were only really a couple of choices. He could partner with Ten and they would probably make something really cool, but that was kinda an obvious choice - besides, Ten would definitely be better suited for dancing. Xiao Jun would be a better partner, they had similar vocal range and Kun had overheard Xiao Jun on his guitar when he thought no one was listening and he was good. So he'd suggested they partner up and find a song to cover and rearrange together. 

Their partnership had been easy from the start, they were on the same wavelength with what they were comfortable with and had similar taste in music. Once they'd found a song, Kun got on with rearranging it to a higher key and slower tempo, Xiao Jun playing along with his guitar and making suggestions as they worked - Kun had never really had a songwriting partner before, it was a nice feeling to have someone to share his ideas with. 

Then they'd had to plan the set and their outfits - Xiao Jun suggested a slightly romantic but melancholy rooftop scene, that had been bit of a surprise, Kun had not thought his friend was so romantically minded! Not that he minded, it all sounded really nice and suited the song they'd chosen as well as showed a different - softer - side to their fans that had been shown before. They chose soft, pale coloured cardigans as their outfits, again something Kun had not really thought of as his image before but why not - Xiao Jun had an eye for these things and Kun was assured that the final look would work.

The week and a half they spent in each others' pockets planning and practicing was the most fun Kun remembered having since he'd signed on to become an idol trainee. And Xiao Jun was genuinely fun to be around, their friendship definitely deepened as a result of the time they spent together. But it wasn't until they performed the final rehearsal to their bandmates that Kun really noticed how deeply Xiao Jun immersed himself in the feeling of the song - their friends were visibly moved by their performance and Kun might have found himself choking up just a little bit too. 

The day of the recording was actually somewhat anticlimactic, it consisted of doing the same take over and over because someone's phone rang on set or one of the lights wasn't quite working the way it was supposed to - in a way Kun felt that the performance they'd had in front of their friends had been the 'real' one - the one that really mattered. Finally the shoot was over but Kun couldn't quite shake the melancholy feel of it, he was feeling strangely fragile. 

"Kun-ge...would you, could we not go back to the dorm just yet? I'm...I don't want to let of the day yet, could we get coffee or something before we go back?" Xiao Jun sounded just as subdued as Kun felt - he was glad the shoot had the same effect on another too.

"Yeah, yeah that...that would be good for me too. Guess the day caught up with you too?" 

They stopped only long enough to change back into their own clothes before heading out, studiously avoiding the rest of the guys - not that their company wouldn't have been fun but it wasn't what they wanted or needed today. A couple of lattes from the coffee shop around the corner later and Kun was feeling a little more settled within himself. Xiao Jun had turned out to be really good company, he was clever and quick and genuinely interested in talking about music with Kun - and not just the stuff they did for work but other things, like Xiao Jun's own arrangements and Kun's compositions. At the end of the night, Kun was feeling a much deeper connection to his friend - they were going to work well together.

Something shifted in the wake of the project, obviously they were all closer to one another and had a better understanding of each others' talents than before but for Kun it felt like he'd gained a special friend just for himself - someone he could call a best friend even. They were roommates now for once, Xiao Jun and YangYang sharing the bunkbed and Kun sleeping on the single on the other side of the room - but they also spent a lot of time together just the two of them. And as they group settled into being WayV properly, Kun found himself relying on Xiao Jun's steady presence to calm things when the younger ones got too excited. 

Months went by and somewhere along the line Kun started to notice Xiao Jun in a...different way. It caught him by surprise, the first time. It had been just another day spent making music and practicing dance routines - absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about it. They'd ordered dinner - technically it was Kun's turn to cook but he'd stayed behind at the studio for extra practice so he'd given the card to Ten and told him to make sure the kids didn't go overboard with the order. The surprise had been when everyone had turned up at the studio with the food and settled on the floor to eat - Ten told Kun that upon hearing Kun had to stay behind the kids had insisted on coming back to keep him company. And Xiao Jun...he'd made up a bowl of Kun's favourite dishes so that he wouldn't be left without. That had made Kun feel...appreciated in a way he'd not really felt like before, like maybe Xiao Jun liked him special. 

Kun didn't quite know how to find out for sure if Xiao Jun was being just friendly or if he did mean something else? They lived and worked together 24/7, they were literally in each others' space all the time and it was messing with Kun's head something bad not knowing. There were obvious complications, the biggest one being that in effect Kun was Xiao Jun's boss when they were working and when they were not, he was the eldest and the one responsible for everyone's wellbeing. On his part, Kun spent quite a few nights unable to sleep thinking about Xiao Jun and what if YangYang wasn't sharing the room with them and he could...something. He didn't actually dare to let his thoughts wander any further in that direction, not now when there was a possibility it was all in his head and having dirty daydreams about your best friend would surely be some kind of a crime. 

Help came from an unexpected source - Ten. Kun genuinely liked and respected Ten, his friend was an incredibly talented artist and a wonderful friend but they didn't always quite mesh well. Ten had taken YangYang under his wing from the start, it was a relationship that worked surpisingly well (most of the time) but had some unfortunate side effects. YangYang was a little gremlin, for all his cute exterior he enjoyed making mischief and he had the knack of waking up Ten's hyperactive streak at the most unfortunate times. So often Kun was left cleaning up whatever trouble the two had cooked between them, not out of any actual malice but just because they simply could not be stopped until they'd literally ran out of steam. So when Ten came to Kun on one of their rare days off and asked Kun to go shopping with him, Kun had to double check that this was not an attempt to distract from one of YangYang's schemes but a genuine wish to spend time with him. 

"I want to find a present for Taeyong, it's our anniversary next week and I haven't found anything yet! But you're good at finding presents so I thought maybe we could go together?"

Ten and Taeyong had hit it off pretty much from the start and had started dating soon after their debut - that was nearly four years ago and despite being in different groups now and living in different dorms, they were still going strong. Taeyong had been the leader at NCT when Kun had been part of it, he was a good guy and genuinely loved Ten and treated him well. So sure, Kun was happy to help choose a present for him. 

They wandered around the shops for a few hours, in the end buying three different things for Ten to eventually choose from. Kun suggested they stop at their favourite noodle place for lunch before heading back, it was one of the few places that Ten - the resident picky eater of the group - enjoyed eating at. Kun was not prepared for the barrage of questions that accompanied his lunch.

"So, when are you and Xiao Jun making things official? It's been months and you're still pretending nothing's going on, it can't be healthy for either of you...what's stopping you? You know we all support you guys like 100% and the management doesn't really care as long as you don't make drama outside the group - and if they do, you've got me and Tae in your corner." 

Maybe for the first time in his life Kun was struck speechless. Everyone thought they were already secretly dating when Kun hadn't even gotten the courage to even ask Xiao Jun yet how he felt!

"Umm, we haven't...we're not actually dating? Yet? I mean, I like him a lot but I haven't actually asked him out yet..."

"Well fuck. Me, Hendery and Xuxi had a bet that you two are hooking up on the regular, even YangYang was sure you're at least kissing! Seems Winwin was right, he said you wouldn't keep a relationship like that secret so that meant you weren't together. But how? I mean, half the time you're all loved up and the other half you fight like a married couple - what is stopping you??" 

To say Kun was shocked that everyone had been betting on his love life was an understatement - once he got back there would be a dorm meeting on all the ways that was inappropriate - but Ten wasn't saying anything that wasn't true. Him and Xiao Jun did spend a lot of time together and maybe they were more affectionate than was usual but they were friends? It wasn't anything different to how Ten and YangYang goofed around like, was it? He sighed.

"I don't know. I guess...I guess I'm just scared of messing it up, there's so much potential for it to go wrong - it's different for you, you and Tae were trainees together but I'm the leader here so...you know, power balance and all that. And he's only 21, that's a little young," saying it all aloud made it sound a bit ridiculous to Kun. What _was_ he actually scared of? Being rejected? Even if Xiao Jun didn't feel the way Kun did, he wouldn't be mean or cruel about it - it was just not in his nature - so they would in all probability stay as friends. So maybe he didn't have any excuses after all.

"Kun-ge, you're such a good leader to us and an awesome big brother to me but maybe you're just being a little too caught up in your own head in this one? If you want something more than just friends with him, you gotta tell him about your feelings - he can't read your mind if you don't say anything! Ah, I know," Ten got up from his seat and practically ran outside. Kun could see Xiao Jun with YangYang - they must have come looking for them. Oh no, what was Ten up to...he wouldn't - yes, yes he would - he was going to make them talk it out. _Great._

"Gege - look who I found," Ten was far too cheerful. "I'm going to head back with the baobei, Xiao Jun hasn't had lunch yet so he can stay with you, yeah?" 

How was he so irritating and so awesome at the same time, Kun wasn't sure if it was a gift or a curse but he was thankful all the same.

"Sure, sure - see you later and YangYang - are those new shoes I can see in your bag? They better not end up on my shelf, if you don't have room for them you shouldn't have bought them!"

Ten dragged a protesting YangYang away and suddenly Kun was alone with Xiao Jun and well, wasn't this what he'd wanted?

Xiao Jun was in a cheerful mood and the conversation was easy and comfortable while they ate, but Kun was mentally preparing himself for the conversation he knew he needed to have. 

"Hey JunJun...there's something I want...I need to talk to you about. Promise you'll hear me out before you say anything, OK? I don't think I can do this twice..." Kun took a deep breath and continued. "OK so. Um, the thing is, I think you're honestly really great. You're super talented, you can sing and dance and make music, you're handsome and a really good person and the best friend I've ever had. But I'm...I'm kinda having feelings about you that are... _more_ than just friendship. I _like_ you, and I was kinda hoping that you would like me back and would consider...going out with me?" 

He couldn't quite meet Xiao Jun's eyes after his garbled speech - he'd barely drawn a breath during the whole thing - his heart was beating about a thousand miles an hour and his ears were burning. 

" _Kun-ge!_ I had no idea...I mean, I couldn't even imagine that you would feel that way - about me, I mean. You're.. _you_ , our leader and gege and I'm...just me. I've had the biggest crush on you _forever_ , since we did Rainbow V at least - you were so handsome and kind and interested in what I had to say...but I never said anything cause I didn't think you felt the same way. What I'm trying to say here - excuse the long way around it - is, I like you too - _that_ way." 

Kun raised his face to look at Xiao Jun - _JunJun_ \- and was greeted by that pretty smile that made his face shine like the sun. He couldn't help but smile in return. Weren't they a pair of hopeless idiots, both convinced their crush was one-sided when each had been waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Yeah? Wow that's...that's a relief. So would you...would you want to make it official and actually go out with me? And before you freak out about everyone knowing, Ten assures me that everyone thinks we are already and that if anything, they will be disappointed it's taken us this long - and I promise I won't treat you any differently when we're working, if that's what's worrying you..." 

Kun was stopped short by Xiao Jun leaning in and pressing a small kiss on his cheek smiling all the while. 

"Yeah, yes to all of it. And I'm not worried about anything, I know you're fair and I would expect no special treatment anyway."

They spent the rest of the meal smiling and laughing and holding hands under the table, this was truly the best day ever - no contest! The walk home was much the same, except they didn't dare hold hands in the middle of the street - yet - they weren't quite ready for all the world to know about them yet, they had a dorm full of people to tell first. But Kun was going to hold hands with his boyfriend on the street one day, maybe not soon but eventually. And maybe one day when they were all grown up and retired from the industry, they could get a house together and get married? Wouldn't that be amazing? But today, Kun was happy to have just this - a boyfriend who liked him back. 

**Author's Note:**

> Xuxi is Lucas' nickname within WayV


End file.
